Plans on Plans on Plans

So it's Saturday May 31st.

June is Tomorrow and my last day here is

really really really close.

The constant conversations between Tom and I are

"I love you, I'm gonna miss you"

Followed by sniffles [from me]

then giggles from the both of us because

we know it won't be long before we see each other again.

7ish weeks to be precise.

Yep, Tom is coming over to Texas in early August.

So we are trying to limit the pity parties around here.

We have to remind ourselves that we've had 5 amazing months together,

and that this is really just the beginning for us.

It might feel like fooorreevvverrr when we're not together

but at least we always have plans in place for next time.

Right now our plans for next time are

Tom coming to Texas in August and staying

till the middle of September, with two 

weeks in the Caribbean thrown in the middle.

Our plans for after that are a little fuzzy.

In fact they're non existent at the moment.

I can't go back to the UK till December

and with Tom working he won't be able to come

back over to Texas for a while.

Soooooo....I think the end of the year is going to be spent

saving money for the following year.

We've got a few ideas for what's to come next year.

It would be nice to be able to do this again.

For me to stay over here in England and then Tom comes to Texas afterwards.

But we know we can't keep this up forever.

Going back and forth is expensive, and it's hard to plan.

We really need a program that we can both be involved in

where we can both work and be together at the same time.

And that program is not called marriage...not yet anyways ;)

Working holiday visa's to New Zealand or Australia are still in the running.

We know that one day the hopping all over the world will have to take a break

and we will have to settle down somewhere.

And that will be one exciting day when it comes around.

But for now we'll hop around to see each other
and we'll try to save money along the way.

Long distance relationships are tough but so worth
it when you're with the right person.

I couldn't imagine doing this with anyone else.

P.S. I asked Tom to write a blog post.
Should be up sometime next week.

:)

Two Weeks

Time flies when you're having fun in love.

Can you guys believe it's been 4&1/2 months already??

I can't wrap my mind around the fact that my time here

is slipping away so quickly.

I feel like i've only been here for a few weeks

but then I look back at everything we've been able to do

and I'm reminded that yes, it has been almost 5 months.

When I got here it was coooooldd and rainy.

It's now pleasantly warm and sunny out.

My wardrobe looks significantly more european,

and I've got souvenirs from some amazing places

like London, Edinburgh and Florence.

I also have loads of pictures with Tom.

About 10X the amount we had before I came.

So yes Emily, you've been away for a while.

I think I'm just in shock that I'll be leaving soon.

Shock? Why shock? It's not like i've not known this was coming...

I think it's always going to be shock when I have to leave Tom.

I mean I haven't even left yet and I'm already feeling like 

the wind has been knocked out of me.

BUT the good news is that Tom will be headed to Texas

sooner than we previously thought.

The bad news is he won't be able to stay as long as we previously thought.

But we're currently on a money saving mission

for future priorities. 

Saving now will help us be able to do more in the coming year.

So we may have to sacrifice some time together at the end of the year

so that we can both work and save up for bigger things to come.

:)

Travel Addict - Liverpool UK

Let's throw it back to 2011 when I was scared of the world.

I wasn't adventurous, I wasn't curious, I was actually

pretty dang happy right where I was.

With no intention of changing it.

My mom asked me a few times before I began College

if I thought I'd go on a study abroad trip.

"No, nuh uh, nooo way"

My response every time.

I was 19 when I went off to College.

I had only ever traveled within the USA,

I didn't even own a passport.

When I graduated from College I had been

on two round trip international flights.

One to Paris and one to Liverpool.

I had traveled to Italy, Switzerland, France, Ireland, Scotland and England...

Or to make it sound cooler...

I have traveled to Milan, Venice, Florence, Cinque Terre, Pisa, Interlaken, Bern, Paris, Tours, Reims, Nice, Cannes, Aix en Provence, Arles, Normandy, Versailles, Dublin, Kilkenny, London, 

Stratford Upon Avon, Oxford, Edinburgh, Liverpool.

I'm probably missing a few places in there.

In only a few short years I've gone from a funny but shy girl who was scared

of the unknown, to a funny, optimistic travel addict who loves

every thing about being in a new and exciting place.

When I group my pictures together like this
i'm really blown away by everything I've been able to go do and see.
Especially since I was so afraid of getting out there a few years ago.

I think traveling is one of the best ways to really get to know yourself.
You learn so much about you and about the world and about people and about love.
It's a crazy experience that can and will shatter a majority of your
former thoughts and prejudices and open you up to such a beautiful adventure.

I'm so happy I've been able to travel as much as I have in the past 2 years.
It's changed my life in more ways than I could explain.

My stay here in Liverpool has been the longest amount of time
that I have been away from home.

It hasn't really felt like a long time but i know it has been.
Time flies when you're having fun is the truest statement ever stated.

Sometimes I feel like i've only been here a week.
And other times it feels like i've been away from home for a year.
When in reality it's only been about 17 weeks.

If you had asked me about my favorite place in England back in 2009
I would have said London, even though I had never been there.
I would have repeated that answer up until 2013.

In 2013 my views shifted and this place called Liverpool became front and center.
You can thank a Tall handsome Brit for that change of heart.

I didn't know much about Liverpool before I came over.
I mean there is one obvious band that comes to mind but other than that
I really didn't know much about this city.

Now that i've been here a while I've learned so much about this great city.

- The Titanic was registered here in Liverpool, never docked here but Liverpool

had something to do with that very very famous ship.

- Liverpool is home to the largest Anglican Cathedral in Britain and 5th largest in the woorrrllddd.

- Liverpool was created in 1207, much older than the USofA.

-Liverpool was at one time a greater Empire than London because their commerce was doing better.

-Liverpool is the most successful footballing city, housing Liverpool FC and Everton FC.

[I've become quite the Liverpool FC fan]

-More than 150 films have been shot in Liverpool. A few were 'The Hunt For Red October, The 51st State, and some scenes from Captain America'.

-Liverpool is home to a very famous band of 4 friends who started out as the Blackjacks, Quarrymen, Johnny and the moondogs, Beatals, Silver Beetles, Silver Beatles, and finally just 'The Beatles'.

I've seen Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields & The Cavern Club.

John Lennon's house is close by as is Paul McCartney's.

It's pretty cool living in a city that was home

to one of the most famous bands of all time.

I have really grown to love Liverpool.

I've got the bus system down and I know town like the back of my hand.

I'm basically a local with a Texan accent.

It's my second home for good reason.

I'm glad that love brought me to this place.

I hope that my stories about Liverpool have made

it a place that you see yourself visiting in the future.

:)

Co-Habitation - The Family

There's a new show on MTV called Sleeping with the parents.

The only reason I know this is because Tom and I are addicted to the show Catfish.

I know, I know...

Anyways it's a show about how a couple lives with one

set of the parents in hopes to make the parents like the girl or boy

that their son or daughter is dating.

But just like any MTV show there is DRAAMMAA

and lots of screaming, fighting and annoying shenanigans.

It's a terrible show, I don't advise watching it.

Thankfully that's not how my experience is going.

Tom lives at home with his Mum, Dad, Grandad, and his little sister Holly.

The house is also often visited by his Older sister Jenny, her Fiance Andy and their little baby P.

So when I came over last November I knew I was 

going to be staying in a busy household.

I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a bit scary to think about

living in the same house with this new family that I had

only met a few times over skype.

When I landed in Manchester in November the first person I saw

when I got past customs was Tom.

The second person I saw was Billy Tom's Grandad.

He had driven to the airport to pick me up and right then

I felt very at ease, like a part of the family.

That night I met the whole family.

They were all so welcoming and nice and

it felt so perfect and easy.

Fast forward to the present day and this is my second family.

I get along with everyone so well, which isn't all that crazy

because i'm really easy going and nice 

and I rarely don't get along with people.

One of the more recent conversations around here

is how weird it will be when I'm gone.

I think I'm going to leave a hole when I leave, 

not just for Tom but also for his family.

I'm not just talking big about myself here ;)

I'm going to miss all of them as much as they'll miss me.

I'm definitely going to miss the roast dinners that Tom's mum makes.

Those roast potatoes and gravy...holy cow...

I could down like a thousand of those.

And I'll miss sitting outside in the nice warm air for a barbecue dinner

with the family and Paula and Steve our cool neighbors!!

[I can still do that at home but it will be scorching out]

I'll miss blaming my misteps on the fact that i'm American...

I'll miss their cute house, their cute garden, their cute faces!!

I'll miss the family as a whole.

When I got here they let me know I was welcome.

I knew I'd feel welcome and to be honest I knew I'd feel loved too.

But the level of love i've felt from a family that didn't know me

a year ago is just incredible to say the least.

When my Grandpa passed away it was really hard for me

to be away from my family.

I remember Tom's mum coming up and giving me a big mom hug

and I just remember crying as if I was hugging my own momma.

I've really built a connection with this family

and it's made this time here incredible.

This would, however, not be what it has been

without Tom's parents letting me stay here.

That must have been as weird for them as it was for me.

"Oh hey, I'm your son's girlfriend from America, mind if I crash here for a few months?? Eh?"

Luckily they didn't mind, and it's been such a fun experience.

I feel like some people have the wrong idea about living at home

and the wrong idea about how to live amongst the other persons parents.

Living at home, especially when you're young and it's your best option

can be one of the best decisions you make as a young adult.

Freedom from being under your parents roof costs loads of money.

And Tom and I are in no position to be spending money elsewhere.

So it's really great that we both still live with the Fam.

This gives us a really cool opportunity that most people don't get.

I get to live with his parents and he's going to get to live with mine.

We are getting an opportunity to really fall in love with our families

while we fall in love with each other.

Family is the backbone to any relationship and I'm

so happy that we are both getting some serious time with each side.

In the few months I've been in England I've really

grown to love each and every one of Tom's family members.

They have made this time with Tom possible by

opening up their home to me.

Hospitality is an incredible gift to give anyone.

I feel very fortunate that I have been able to Co-habitate

with this amazing family for the past few months.

I probably won't go around telling everyone to live with the In-Laws

because I don't think it works the same for everyone ;)

But for us it's been an absolute dream.

I am so excited to give Tom that same hospitality

when he comes back to Texas later this year.

So the second reason I love being here in England is Tom's Family.

:)

Tom

If I had to pick my most favorite thing about the UK

it would have to be my 6foot4inch stud crumpet Tom.

I'd pick him over a bridge or clock tower any day.

I think it was about a year ago that we started talking

about this year and how our time would be spent.

At that point in time Tom was in Texas and we knew our connection was real,

so from that moment that we had some serious planning to do.

It's pretty funny to think about

because we went from spending a few weeks together last year
to spending a few months together this year.

Tom went from random guy I met online

to being my best friend in that first month of talking.

That's talking and skyping.

By that time I had seen him face to face

and so I let myself trust in the experience a lot more

than if I hadn't seen him at all.

So he was someone I really trusted

and someone I felt very comfortable with.

Fast forward 3 months later and my best friend

who I had major major crushy feelings for was now

the owner of a ticket to Texas.

Fast forward another month and we are both fully aware

of our feelings for one another, and fully aware that we've

just stumbled upon a gold mine in finding each other this way.

You all know how nervous I was when I first met him.

Almost fainting near the baggage claim waiting for him to come out.

I remember I just kept poking him on the way home

asking him if he was real, if this was real.

Once we got to my house we sat down on the couch

very formally, not cuddly, snuggly but side by side staring

straight out waiting for my parents to get home.

It's funny because you'd think meeting the parents would 

make the both of us so nervous but my parents are

so nice and funny that when they got home I felt more at ease

even though he was still about ready to pass out.

Getting to really know one another in those three weeks

was a crazy crazy experience.

The person you knew so well already via a computer screen

is the same person sitting in front of you.

But it's a totally new situation because it's real.

It's all a bit crazy really.

It was only a week or two after Tom had left Texas

that we both decided to be impatient, impractical and romantic.

We booked my flight to England for November and

started planning my extended stay for this year.

And it's all worked out so incredibly well.

I've been here for almost 5 months now

and I love Tom more today than I did when we

were back in Texas and I felt like my heart was going

to explode out of my chest because of how much I loved him.

He's my guy, my person, my lobster.

Every time I see him I swoon because he's so handsome.

He gives the best forehead kisses and his hand wraps mine with ease.

He makes me think, makes me laugh and 

just makes me happier than I ever knew I could be.

We're a really good pair and I'm glad that we're 

getting to do all of these amazing things together.

He's my favorite thing about England.

:)

Life in England

This whole living in England thaanngg that i'm doing 

is one of the best experiences i've ever had.

For one, it's the longest i've been away from home

which in effect has helped me blossom into my own person

even more so than I was a few short months ago.

Independence was something I struggled with for a long time.

I was a home body, I liked the status quo.

Now i'm extremely independent at least when it comes

to being out on my own, doing my own thing.

I still need to work on financial independence.

That's like a whole other story.

Another reason this is one of the best experiences i've had is because

I've been able to fall in lovvveeee with my best friend.

Growing up i'd always swooooon over those handsome

brits in the movies or on tv.

I'd think to myself how wonderful it be to 

hear that British accent on a daily basis.

Especially when he's saying "I love you"

Or "Emily" or "make me a coffee" ;)

And now i've got that, all of that, even the coffee bit ;)

And it's all just as magical as I hoped it to be.

Thankfully Tom has more going for him than just the accent

but it really doesn't hurt that he's got it.

I've never been in love before, well, up until now.

I saw people in love, I just thought it was gross until it happened to me.

Isn't that how it always works??

Now i'm spending my days with my guy

with a giant smile on my face because he makes

me soooooo incredibly happy that I just can't stand it.

We're two pea's in a pod that Tom-cat and I

and it's the best feeling out there.

This week i'm going to try and focus on

some of my favorite things about living over here in England.

There's Tom, his family, the food, England in itself...

There's so many things that make this experience one of my favorites!!

And I can't wait to tell you guys allllll about it!! ;)

Let's all be nice today, ok? :)

(That includes you, nasty anonymous commenter from yesterday)

Have a great day everyone!! :)

bedroom makeover

Ah the bedroom makeover...

I do this at least once a year.

It's a real problem that I have but as i've grown

my taste has just changed so much.

I finally feel like I know what i want my space to look like.

So to continue on with posts about redecorating

I'll show you some of my ideas for my bedroom.

I've got about 1,000 duvet covers and bedspreads.

Some from pottery barn, some are anthro hacks that my mom made for me.

So I have loads, I really need to donate them.

Not the mom one, don't worry momma.

I am loving this one from H&M home.

[link here]

I'm also totally in lovvveee with this pillow from Ikea.

[link here]

Pillows are so fun, I think i'll grab these Ikea one's and add

some color in there with a bright solid pillow to bring in accents.

The only other thing is a bed frame.

I don't actually have one, my bed just sits on a base

and I have a sticker decal on my wall as a headboard..

I think I'd like to dress it up a bit more than that.

I like this one from Ikea but i'd want to paint it white.

[link here]

Or this one is cheaper, plus I think I could get my dad

to attach a board to the back of the headboard so it's solid without the gaps.

Then....paint it white.

[link here]

I like those specifically because they aren't big and bulky.
Simple and smaller but still a full bed frame.
They're both pretty perfect.

That pretty much covers the bedroom.

The only other thing I would think about are curtains.

I have plenty of those too but nothing really matches my current adult state ;)

So i'll have to look into those as well...

I think i'm going to be selling lots of things on ebay and

giving lots of stuff away to goodwill.
Or maybe i'll have an instagram sale?

I'll figure something out.
Hope you're all having a great weekend!

:)

I'll use my money elsewhere, thank you!! [ Student Loans ]

You remember that one time [or multiple times] in college

where you had to go to the financial aid office and talk to the

financial aid people and your stomach was in knots knowing what

was about to go down in that small office filled with cat figurines.

[ok, personal experience]

But we've all been there, or at least most of us have been there.

Applying for student loans because College is pricey

and we all need that degree and we're willing to be given

money now so we can pay for it later.

Well in theory that's just dandy because

at the time, while in school, you really don't feel

the repercussions of signing your life away.

You're carefree, it's been handled, for now.

ring ring..ring ring..

Debt's a callin' and it's for you!!

Student loan's are weird.

They're good and evil all at the same time.

I for one am very thankful I was able to get a little help

during college because my personal loan went towards my Paris trip.

So thank you for that.

But now that i've graduated and my Paris trip is over

I'm having to pay a couple thousand dollars + interest for things

that really don't matter at all anymore because i'm not partaking in those things.

Plus, not that i know personally, but i've heard rumors that

the job markets suck and all of us post grads are stumbling around

trying to find some work mostly so we can start paying off those debts.

We're not finding jobs to finally start living life

we're finding jobs to pay off college.

That's the part that really stinks.

But I get it, I was given money and it's my duty to repay.

I get that, even if it pains me to pay for the past, i totally get it.

You helped me out and now it's time to pay it back.

And I will, but i'll do it in my own way.

It pains me to think that a hard earned paycheck 

would have to go straight to my debt.

I don't want to pay off my debt with my own money.

But i'll sure do it with someone else's.

Say Whaatttt??

I was reading through some blogs the other day

when I came across Mish Lovin' Life.

She was talking about student loans and as I read on

she informed me that there was another way to pay.

YES! Please, anything but my own money will work.

The program is called Gradsavers.

Here's how it works.

You sign up and complete online tasks for businesses and earn loan credits as payment.

The online tasks are anything from tweeting for businesses to posting FB comments for businesses.

There's also options to write blogs and articles, make lists and post to craigslist and ebay.

You're basically just advertising for businesses who are working with gradsavers.

Each task you complete you're given loan creds.

You can earn anything from 10 creds to 500 creds.

The amount of money you earn is based on points.

10 points = $1

500 points = $50

The 500 point options are a little bit more complicated

as you have to reach out to businesses and get them to use gradsavers.

So it's a weird circle of advertising that in the end helps you put a dent in your loans.

Once you have $10 worth of creds, or 100 creds

you can set up your account to link with your loan provider

and you can put down how much you want to pay back

and gradsavers will pay that amount towards your loan.

You don't have to do it at $10, you can wait till you have your monthly bill

saved up and then just make enough on here per month to pay for that.

The only downside i can see is it's a first come first serve system.

If you login chances are all of the jobs could be taken or maybe they're still available.

You just have to keep checking back and once you find some available tasks

just do those and come back later and check again.

You won't make thousands in one sitting.

I joined yesterday and played on the site for about an hour in total

and i've made $37 towards my loans so far.

I did some fb posting, tweeting and wrote two short blog posts.

$37 bucks for my time, yes please!!

I love this program because you're getting to use your time

and your brain to pay back loans instead of your hard earned cash.

So far I love it, and i plan on doing it occasionally just to keep my creds coming in

steadily so when it's time for me to make my first payment I will

have made enough to cover it.

If you're interested in joining you can use me as a referral.

Just go to this link and it should set you up!

http://gradsavers.com/sign-up/?referer=eowens

:)

Office Space - Redecorating

So it's looking like a lot of my time this summer

will be spent working behind my laptop.

This is good, it means i'll be working in my pj's

from the comfort of my home and hopefully making some money.

That's the dream job right there.

So since I'll be finding myself working in my own space

i've got to start thinking about how I want it to look.

I want it to be clean and organized and pretty.

This means crisp whites and fresh flowers.

Maybe a gallery wall of prints and photos??

I have a desk that was once my older sisters makeup table.

I painted it green which sounds terrible but it actually came out to be really nice.

I'm thinking about storing this one in the guest bedroom and getting a new one.

I don't want to spend a lot of money on a desk and I don't want it to be bulky.

I found this one online from Target.

It's fairly cheap for a desk and I'm going to spray paint the legs gold.

[Link here]

I also found this one in Ikea for less than $40!!

Same idea, spray paint legs gold.

[Link here]

I'm also really liking this clear chair from Ikea.

[Link here]

But i'm not really sure what i'll do about a chair.

I desperately need one because my current desk chair is 

a bench from 1980...at least I think it's from the 80's, could be 70's...

My room is currently a grey color.

It really didn't come out the way I wish it had.

I'm thinking about repainting it white and 

then maybe having a blush colored accent wall where my desk will sit.

Not sure about that either...

If I did have a blushy pinky wall then I could
add one of these pretty pretty tassels to it and it would just be SO good!!!

[All Tassels from Blush Bazzaar]

Here's a few smaller items that may grace my desk once I get it assembled.
I'm loving this book end from Ikea.

[Ikea Book end]

This clock from Anthro.

[Anthro Clock]

Oh and this book from Anthro should probably come too...

[Anthro book]

And finally a little coffee mug for some pens and pencils.
I don't drink coffee so what else am I to do with a pretty mug ;)

[Anthro mug]

Here's a few more office space inspirations!!

[Dearlizzy]

[Becauseitsawesome]

Oy! I don't even know...

I just really want a clean office space

with some pretty Peonies dressing the space up.

I'm not too complicated I just want it to be pretty.

And I don't want to spend very much.

Budget of $150?

Is it possible?

We'll find out...

All I know is that there will be fresh flowers.

I've got a bit of a flower obsession as of late and it's

weird because I have bad allergies all of the time which

always made me kind of hate flowers...

But I'm now in love with them

so that will be something I'll splurge on regularly.

I would say I can't wait to start on this project but I can

because i'm not ready to leave England yet ;)

But once i'm home it will be nice to have some projects like this one

to work on to keep my mind off the fact that I can't kiss my boo thang for a few months...

siigghh

:)

Where to next??

It feels weird calling this a long distance relationship

when we've not been 'long distance' for a few months now.

The distance between Tomily is going to change pretty dramatically 

in a months time, so what's next for us??

Well as i've previously stated we won't be together

for the summer months but we'll both be working to save money

for the months following the summer months...

So far so good on those plans.

The Caribbean in August is the next time

i'll see Tom and his family.

 So that's almost three months of separation

which also means three months of skype dates.

It's like we're going back to the basics once again.

However this time it will be significantly harder to skype

when we've both become so accustomed to being with each other.

bleh...I don't want to skype but i'm happy we have the ability to.

Tom will hopefully (fingers crossed) be coming to Texas in the fall

if everything works out the way we hope it does.

He is only able to stay for 3 months without a visa

so if he can find a way to forego working for a little bit

then we'll have a Tom in the USofA for a little while.

Which is so stinking exciting!!

1. "But won't Tom go stir crazy in Texas since public transport,

like buses, are no where to be found??"

Tom has a personal chauffeur, her name is me, and my trusty steed of a car, Borris.

2. "And won't you have a job so you have to leave him alone

for hours at a time?? He'll be so bored"

I think, if all goes as planned, i'll be working from home, whether it's Etsy

or another personal business endeavor that i'm currently working on, or both.

Tom in Texas is where we currently are in our planning.

We don't know what will happen after that but we've got loads of planning time

between now and decision time.

I'm seeing lots of girls my age planning their wedding's

and talking about how stressful it is.

I'm not planning a wedding but I feel like i'll

be a professional when the time comes because

all of this long distance relationship planning 

has turned me into a logistical genius.

Plus my wedding is going to be small and stylish

so i'm like "bring it on" I'd love to be married because having to plan to see

the person you l-o-v-e is capital D-Difficult.

We like taking things one step at a time here in Tomily land

and you know it's working out pretty well so far

so we're just going to keep doing that and see

where it takes us.

It's a good thing we're adventurous folk ;)

One month left

Four months gone, one month left.

Only one month, are you sure?

Maybe I miscounted?? 

I have more time that that, right??

Actually it's less than a month.

Bring on the saddzz!!!

You remember last year...2013

Tom and I had known each other for that whole year,

and yet we only spent one month out of twelve together.

So i'm reminded at how fleeting Tom's three weeks in Texas were

and how short but sweet my week in November was.

One month goes by fast, and i'm not ready.

I obviously love and miss my family

and I am really excited to see them all and

tell them all about this adventure i've been on.

But the thought of leaving Tom is not something I'm ready to take on.

The only thing getting me on that plane and on my way to Texas

is the fact that border control would deport me if I stayed. ;)

Plus we've both got plans to work our booties off over the summer so

we can save up some serious money.

Ah money, you blasted thing you!!

You see, we need money for a few things

like the Caribbean in August, travel expenses to see each other,

as well as savings for future visa's.

Basically i'll never shop again because

i'll be saving everything i make for a little thang called love.

I'm pretty happy about that.

Between the two of us we should be able to save quite a bit this summer.

Especially since we won't be together, because all of our money is spent 

doing things together, like eating......

I am excited to get home and start work on some personal projects

that I hope will bring me some decent income.

I'll keep you all posted on that because one project is etsy based

and i'm really really excited about that one.

But for now i'm going to focus on my last month here.

We still have loads of fun things to do plus

Tom's birthday is June 7th so that will be a lot of fun.

Even though i'm leaving soonish it's not the end of the world.

We have the Caribbean in August and then Tom plans

to come to Texas for a little or a long while right after.

This adventure is a crazy one with lots of plans

for the future as well as unknowns.

It's a roller-coaster but we love it.

I'm so happy I get to experience love with Tom.

He's the kindest, funniest, handsomest guy on the planet

and I'm glad we get to not only be a couple but also 

make memories all of the world.

I got a good thing going
and leaving in June isn't going to stop that good thing.

:)

Last day in Florence + Pisa + being detained...

Our last day in Florence was really fun for a few reasons.

First of all it stormed, which you might be thinking...

"oh yea that's totally not something you'd want happening on your holiday"

Well I personally love a little storm, this Texas girl has missed her

thunderstorms since they rarely happen in England.

The only downer to the downpour was lines.

We had to stand in one line for over two hours

which is when the rain started to creep in.

Thankful for umbrellas!!

The other reason I loved our last day in Florence

was because it was our museum day.

That may sound nerdy but Tom and I are culture vultures

and we really wanted to see a few indoorsy things before we had to leave.

The image above is of the line we waited in for over two hours

just to climb to the tippy tip top of the Dome of the Duomo.

So we waited in line so we could climb a bajillion stairs.

It's like waiting in line for a workout.

It's really crappy!!

However the view at the top was well worth it.

It was even worth it to Tom who's not a fan of the tiny

spiral staircases we had to climb that he barely fit into.

After climbing the Dome we headed over to The Accademia 

which is where Michelangelo's David resides.

A tip to anyone wanting to visit this museum..

General admission is 11euro and you get to wait in a really

really really long long line.

A reservation ticket with a specific time for you to show up

is 15 euro and it's a short little baby line.

I'm confused as to who would pass that up.

After standing in a two hour line for the Dome we

got ourselves some reserved tickets and i'm so glad we did!!

I never really put much thought into the David.

Maybe it's because i've seen loads of Statues before

and while they're all amazing "The Thinker, Venus De Milo"

They were what I expected and pretty normal to me.

However, that's not really the case with The David.

When we entered the museum he was not in sight at first.

You round a corner and the BAM, helllloooo David.

You're not supposed to take photos of the statue,

there are loads of security lining this hallway in pursuit of

all disobeyers of the no photo law...

I really didn't want to but in the end I had to...

This epic statue was large, like huge, so much bigger than this picture lets on.

We took a little time to just sit and take him in

like the snobby art people that we are ;)

I just kept thinking how amazing it is

that talents like Michelangelo were truly cherished

enough to save their work for the future generations to see.

I mean just think of how much we'd be missing out on

if the people who kept these treasures alive had not done so.

It's just mesmerizing to sit in the midst of a great artist like Michelangelo,

it's something i'll remember forever.

After this museum we were real tired from all of the standing in lines

and walking up spiral staircases so we took a nap.

Afterwards we went to dinner at a swanky Italian Restaurant 

that we were literally lured into..

We were looking at the menu and this peppy woman came out

and pretty much stunned us with her pep that we couldn't say no...

The place was real fancy and we...well...were not.

We got two decently priced salads and a side of fries.

All class I tell ya!!

We then took to the streets of florence to find the other Statue of David.

The fake one that sits or stands in the Piazza Della Signoria.

Well here's a fun story...

On our way to the other David

I realize that I really need to pee.

TMI, so sorry.

But it's true.

I needed to pee so bad, like tears bad.

Like Tom almost saw me in tears because

that's how badly I needed to pee.

Tom was really wanting to go see the square and I

was seriously considering leaving him to find it while I

ran as fast as I could back to the hostel, or into another fancy restaurant...

whichever came first...

He mentioned a museum that was near the square so maybe it had a bathroom.

The square was closer than the hostel so I stuck with Tom.

We got to the museum and it was still open at like 10pm??

So strange but i'm not complaining...So we go in and I see a restroom sign.

PRAISE!!!!

I see a sign as I get closer and it states that you must be a ticket holder to use the restroom...

At that moment. in that museum, I really almost

collapsed unconscious because of my need to pee.

The world was against me in my hour of need!!

Tom, the hero that he is, bought us tickets to the museum

so I could use the bathroom and so he could see the museum ;)

I get to the bathroom and the ladies one is being cleaned...

I won't lie...I was all wet from rain already, there was very little

stopping me from just peeing right there.

I'm all about honesty.

I went out to Tom, tears in my eyes and said it's being cleaned.

He told me to use the men's room...

HA! I'll hold it...

Thankfully there was a disabled toilet

that I was able to use once the woman who took about

a million years in there finally came out...

Now that I think about it I'm pretty sure I cut in front of two women

to get into that disabled toilet...

Sorry bout that...

Anyways, so the pee landed us at the Palazzo Vecchio.

Which turned out to be a really cool museum.

It was actually once home to the Medici family.

Soooooo thanks pee??? 

The Museum is open till Midnight which is awesome.

There was only about 10 other people in there with us.

Definitely something to see if you're in the area.

Plus it has a really cool room with old maps and a globe

that i'm basically obsessed with.

After the museum we wandered the streets back to our hostel

feasting on Nutella filled waffles and sights of the Duomo.

Florence was amazing.

I'm so glad we were able to explore it

together as first timers.

The next day we set off to Pisa to

hunt down the Leaning Tower before we

had to jet off to England.

We walked from the Train Station in Pisa

to the Leaning Tower.

It's about a 15 minute walk, not bad at all.

The Tower was amazing.

I love seeing places i've read about my whole life.

You kind of get chills like when you see the Eiffel Tower for the first time.

It's really cool, and it's really leaning.

I wanted all three of us in the picture...

Tall boyfriend and tall tower don't leave much room for a little Emily...

Pisa was great, we were only there for a little over an hour

but it was more than enough time to take in the sights.

We were now on our way back to England.

Should be easy right???

Remember that one time that I came over here???

And I was really nervous about customs thinking I was crazy

for staying over here for so long???

Yea, so I was detained at Liverpool Airport.

The woman who decided I was detaining worthy was actually really nice.

She just had MAJOR concerns that I was trying to permanently dwell in the UK.

I didn't have my return flight information on me so I couldn't prove to her

that I did have a return flight...

I was finally able to when Tom gave me his phone right

before he was led away by a random customs guy who apparently told him..

"Come on sir, out in the waiting room, she's fine, she can't go anywhere"

I was detained...It felt scary but also thrilling.

I won't lie I got a little adrenaline rush from it but I don't plan on making it a regular occurrence.

The woman asked if she could speak to Tom to verify my story

and I told her, with a bit of an attitude...

"Oh, you just missed him, he was just whisked away by your men"

Said with a smile...

She asked for a photo of him so she could go find him, I showed her

and off she went to find Tom...

She told me to sit and wait by the line that I was now holding up.

Whoops, sorry guys, I know you have places to be but this

lady thinks i'm a criminal sooooo.....

It was awkward..

Finally she comes back, she found Tom, everything lines up...

She however still has big concerns...

Probably because she see's the love in our eyes

and however could a couple this adorable be separated 

by an ocean for any length of time???

Trust me lady, I know how you feel...

But in the end she just said that i'm not

to enter the UK again for another 6 months.

Duh, I won't...Tom's coming to Texas lady!!

Sheeeesh...

So yea, we're back, i'm a free woman...

however i'm pretty sure they've got a red flag next to my name...

Oh the adventures of living abroad.

;)